Residents trapped on Birmingham murder probe street where ‘shootings are not rare’

The rain pelted down as forensic officers beavered away in white suits. Orange cones blocking roads and holding up police tape had blown away during fierce winds.

If Storm Bert was impacting the officers investigating the city’s latest gun murder, it was nothing compared to the disruption for those living nearby. Dozens of families suddenly found themselves inside an enormous cordon, waking up to flashing blue lights and being told they could only leave their homes on foot.

A suspect has been arrested on suspicion of murder after one man was killed and another was left fighting for his life in a double shooting on Friday, November 22. It happened near the junction of Rotten Park Road and City Road in Edgbaston, where an extensive police presence remains.

LIVE UPDATES: Edgbaston murder probe live as man shot dead and another seriously injured in late night violence

One resident told BirminghamLive he was “shocked” by the events, adding he hadn’t seen anything like it in the ten months he had lived in the area. Hoping to catch the bus into town, the soaked commuter found himself with a long walk around taped off streets in the bitter cold.

Others, however, were far from surprised. A landlord with a property on the road said violence wasn’t uncommon with lots of flats and what he called “drug issues”. “I arrived here this morning and saw the lights,” he said. “Shootings aren’t that rare around here really. I think that’s quite well known.”

BirminghamLive has reported frequent incidents on the stretch in recent years - including crashes, violent disorder and the arrival of armed officers. While the circumstances of this weekend’s events are unclear, the landlord said he wanted to see more police patrols.

There was a significant presence on Saturday morning, with forensic activity mostly centred on a car inside a tent where one of the gunshot victims died at the scene. At each of the four separate cordons, members of a local church handed out hot drinks to plain-clothed and uniformed officers.

Another resident, Mohammed Faisal, told the BBC he was watching television when he heard gunshots. He described the situation as “extremely worrying” for those with children.

But West Midlands Police appeared eager to reassure the community, with extra patrols due to take place throughout the weekend. Det Insp Nick Barnes said the incident was tragic and urged anybody with information to get in touch.

“We have worked through the night to understand exactly what happened,” he said. “We’ve already made good progress and arrested a suspect but I still need to hear from anyone who was in the area that we’ve not already spoken to.”

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